General College Information

College Admission Requirements I: The Right Classes!

Most colleges and universities have a certain set of classes you must take to be eligible for admission. The most common pattern is the A-G requirements used by the CSU and UC system. While private schools may vary, following this pattern will ensure you are well are your way.

College Admission Requirements II: Admission Testing!

There are two options for college admission testing, the SAT and the ACT.While most people tend to be more familiar with the SAT, both tests are viewed equally by colleges and universities. To determine which test may be best for you, we recommend taking a practice test or two that can help you make a decision. Wilson offers the PSAT every October and a practice ACT is typically offered in January.

When should you take your admissions tests?Generally, we recommend taking the official test during the spring of junior year. This gives you more time in classes that will expose you to content that will be on the test. While you can always test earlier, especially if you are taking prep classes or are in advanced math, the deadline will be November of your senior year - while many schools will also take December scores, you are safer getting it done by November.

What about SAT Subject Tests?SAT subject tests are hour long​, multiple-choice exams that assess a student’s knowledge in a specific subject. These test are less commonly completed by students than the ACT or SAT. They may be required by some schools, though not the CSU or UC systems. Other colleges strongly recommend them, and some schools have no preference at all. Usually the recommendation is based on your intended major. Subject tests should be viewed as an opportunity to provide depth and variety to your profile if you feel you can do well.

The Early Assessment Program (EAP) is another test program that can help you prepare for college.The EAP uses SBAC scores from junior year to determine if you have met college readiness standards in English and Math for the CSU system. The results of the SBAC test taken in the spring of your junior year will help determine your placement in college level course of study, at community colleges as well as the CSU system - including a possible need for summer courses! Click on the above link for more information.

College Admission Requirements III: GPA Matters!

Maybe you took all the right classes... but how did you do in those classes? GPA has a big impact on how competitive an applicant you can be. If you earned D grades in any A-G classes, you'll have to repeat them. The CSU and UC will not recognize D grades as meeting the requirements; independent schools might, but they really impact your cumulative GPA. Keep in mind that there are many different GPA's that are used for colleges, financial aid, and even scholarships. On a very basic level, your GPA is made up using the following formula:

A= 4 points, B= 3 points, C= 2 points, D= 1 point and F= 0 points; add up the number of points you have and divide by the number of classes you counted. What about honors? Great question!

Here is a quick reference breaking down the different GPA's that are often used:

Cumulative Unweighted GPA(found on your transcript): Every class listed on your transcript using the basic formula above with NO additional points for honors or AP classes. This GPA can never be higher than 4.0.

Cumulative Weighted GPA(found on your transcript): Every class listed on your transcript; an extra point will be given for every honors or AP class where a C or higher is earned. While this GPA can often go above a 4.0, the GPA scale used is still considered to be a 4.0 scale.

A-G College Admission GPA, often referred to as a "recalculated GPA": This GPA is NOT found on your transcript; however you will be given a CSU Eligibility report in your junior year with this GPA. CSU and UC campuses use this GPA to evaluate students for college admission. It includes only the grades earned in A-G classes beginning the summer after freshmen year. AP classes will always earn an extra point (as long as they are passed with a C or better) but not many honors classes are given an extra point for this GPA. To see what Wilson offers that is A-G approved as well as which classes earn the extra point, see our official A-G course list. Keep in mind that colleges will limit extra points to a maximum of eight semesters, including no more than four semesters taken in the 10th grade year.

REPEATED COURSES: If you earn a grade of D or lower in a class and choose to repeat it for grade improvement, the higher grade earned will be used to calculate your GPA provided the courses are the same. Example, if you earn a D in Algebra 2 and then take Algebra 2 again over summer school and earn an A, the A would be used in your GPA calculation, not the D. However, if you earned an F in English 2 Honorsand then took English 2 over summer school and got a B, BOTH the F and B would be calculated in your GPA since they are not the same course.

Confusing? Don't worry, that's why you have a counselor!

College Athletics

When you think of college athletics, often it’s the NCAA (Div I, Div II etc.) that comes to mind. The NCAA is comprised of approximately 460,000 student-athletes at more than 1,200 schools, conferences and affiliate organizations, all vying to compete in one of 89 championship events under the NCAA umbrella.

The NAIA is a much smaller association of schools than the NCAA but is a formidable association, including more than 260 colleges and universities and representing 60,000 student-athletes. The NAIA also oversees 23 national championships in 13 different sports. And while the overall level of competition isn’t what you would find at D-I schools, NAIA sports are generally considered to be on par with NCAA Division II schools.

College Search Websites

Below are a sample of the different search engines and websites devoted to helping you choose the best school for you. Always be aware that some sites are geared towards schools that have paid to advertise, but generally they provide pretty accurate information. It is always best to double check information on the actual school website.

California Colleges: This is an awesome comprehensive all in one search site and we definitely recommend starting here. We are proud to be partners with California Colleges which means that you already have an account created for you on this site - all you need to do now is register it! You are also able to access your transcript information on this site and see your progress towards meeting the A-G requirements.

CollegeBoard School Match Assistant:This is a great site that allows you to begin with over 3,000 schools across the country and narrow down based on factors important to you. Really great for looking at details such as price, especially for in state versus out of state tuition!

Exploring Majors, Assist.org: Do you know what major or area you are interested in but you aren't sure which of the Cal State or UC schools offer that program? Check out this website! You can click on Majors and choose from the drop down lists or you can select a specific Cal State or UC campus to see programs they offer. Remember, the more research you do early on, the better prepared you will be to make decisions about your life after Wilson.

My Plan: This search does not allow you to get as specific, but it does provide different options and has a cleaner look to it. Loads of additional planning information is also available here.

Major and Career Descriptions: Not sure what you want to do after high school? Check out this great resource provided by CollegeBoard. Here you can search by major categories or by career categories to see what options you might want to pursue. It may not have everything, but it is a really easy way to start researching different paths for after high school.

Cappex: This a pretty inclusive site that allows you not only to research various schools, but they have a calculator that will determine your odds of getting into a specific college, based on numbers alone of course. That are also a lot of student reviews and worksheets.

College Confidential: This site is mostly dedicated to student blogs and posted information. It is interesting but remember that opinions may vary greatly!

College Week Live: The world’s biggest virtual college fair, with more than 200 colleges and universities from around the world exhibiting and more than 25,000 attendees. The event revolutionizes college admissions, making the process easier and more cost-effective by bringing together students, parents, counselors and colleges online to interact, transcending time and distance. CollegeWeekLive occurs yearly in November and March and is completely free to attendees and has discussions and archives available at all times.